After a 4-month pilot, Mesilla Valley Transportation has begun equipping its entire fleet of 1,650 trailers with an untethered trailer tracking system. The carrier, which has extensive operations in Mexico, expects to use the system to reduce its current 3.25/1 trailer/tractor ratio to 2.8/1, giving it a six- to eight- month payback, according to CFO Dean Rigg.
“Our number one reason (for adopting trailer tracking) is improved utilization,” says Rigg. “Everything else — security, theft recovery — is secondary.”
The SkyBitz system used by MVT provides excellent tracking in Mexico, even offering street-level locations in the heart of Mexico City, Rigg says. The system's self-contained tracking unit is also easy to install since it does not require a separate power hookup, he says. With 1,300 units already installed, MVT personnel can complete the process in just eight minutes, he reports.
